The long-awaited 2.5-acre commercial development located on the southeastern corner of 34th St. and Ella Blvd. will officially open in late spring and offer some new additions to the community. Called 33&1/3@Thirtyfourth, local residents can look forward to a highly regarded Vietnamese restaurant, a new UPS store, and nail salon among others.

Even in its present state, the new retail center is a standout. There is an 80-foot, hand-painted mural of Texas’ famous Cadillac Ranch on its eastern wall. The brick work used in the buildings is a blend of clean, modern lines mingled with historical elements. The pavement in the parking lot allows water to permeate, so the entire lot functions to abate flooding in the area, and there will be a comfortable green space for outdoor picnicking.

The site is the work of Crescere Capital Management LLC under the eye of its owner and founder Chris Hotze. Hotze has 20 years of experience in the investment marketplace and developed numerous commercial sites now hosting tenants such as Kroger, Starbucks, Wells Fargo, and numerous local or mom-and-pop concepts.

Hotze paid a great deal of personal attention to the design and construction of 33&1/3rd@Thirtyfourth. He committed from the beginning to create high quality structures, with a tenant mix that will reflect the caliber of the local community.

“The project has been extremely important to me because the corner of 34th and Ella Boulevard is the grand entry to Oak Forest and Garden Oaks. It needed to respect the community and its people,” Hotze explained. “It needed to make a statement.”

There are three signed tenants at the time of this writing, with several more in lease negotiations. Expectations are that it will be nearly 100 percent leased by the end of February.

Husband and wife team Cat Huynh and Angie Dang will be opening their second Les Bag’et Vietnamese café at 33&1/3rd.

The couple developed a following with their affordable, traditional Vietnamese home cooking at their first location in Montrose. The new restaurant will feature the same fresh products with everything made in-house, to order. Their Bánh Mì sandwiches have won awards, and their slow-dripped Café Sua Dá (iced coffee with condense milk) uses Le Bag’et’s special blend of beans.

“Cat and Angie are creative artists. They are highly regarded and very consistent,” Hotze stated. “When I approached them with a location at 33&1/3rd, they already had many offers for a second location, but they chose us.”

There will also be a brand new UPS Store in the center. Not limited to packing and shipping, this store will have the capabilities to print car magnets and baseball caps.

Local residents may also enjoy a new nail salon called Blush Box. “The owners of Blush Box have several other successful locations in the Heights, and will feature high-end products and care with an emphasis on service,” Hotze explained. “They will make a nice addition to the mix.”

There are more businesses on the horizon that will soon call 33&1/3rd@Thirtyfourth home. See future issues of The Leader for updates.